The present invention relates generally to packaging for containing, retaining, protecting and displaying produce and other products and methods for making such containers. More particularly, the present application relates to a low-cost, single-blank goods container having tapered stacking tabs.
Flat sheets of corrugated fiberboard, typically referred to as blanks, have been used for many years as the starting material to form produce containers. Corrugated fiberboard generally refers to a multi-layer sheet material comprised of two sheets of liner bonded to a central corrugated layer of medium. Given a basic size requirement specified by the customer, industry standards, and the preference for low cost, paperboard container manufacturers strive to provide maximum structural stacking strength with a minimal amount of corrugated fiberboard. A typical well-known container is a single-piece tray design having a bottom wall, two side walls and two end walls each connected to the bottom wall.
Typical containers for the support and transport of food produce articles and other retail goods are corrugated containers having fixed configurations. These containers must be filled for transport, and later stacked on-site for display or storage purposes. During shipment, storage, and display at retail markets, it is desirable to stack these containers atop one another. Cross-stacking or unsecured columnar stacking of containers for produce and other goods results in unstable loads, with the potential of upper containers falling into lower containers, damaging product in the containers and often toppling a stack of containers.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a package which can be easily filled and stacked in a stable unitload, with little to no chance of stacked containers above falling into containers below. It is further desirable to provide a stable stacking package which may be assembled quickly and efficiently from a single blank, also maximizing interior space, ease of stacking, stacking stability, and structural strength while holding produce or other goods. There exists a need for such a package which also is easily loaded and unloaded and which maintains its strength throughout its use during loading, shipping, displaying, and unloading.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a container is provided which is economical to manufacture and easily stacked, while maintaining a high degree of structural and stacking stability.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a container with inwardly tapered stacking tabs is provided, with the stacking tabs being adapted to fit into tab receptacles in a bottom panel of an above-stacked container.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a single blank for formation of a stackable container having inwardly tapered stacking tabs and downwardly opening stacking receptacles is provided.
According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a container results in a sturdy container having inwardly tapered stacking tabs.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to represent each embodiment, or every aspect of the present invention. This is the purpose of the figures and detailed description which follow.